1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mechanical hand tools, generally, and, more particularly, to an implement for starting a nut or other threaded item onto a bolt, stud, or other threaded fastener where such fastener is located such that it cannot be conveniently reached by the fingers of one trying to start the nut or other threaded item thereon.
2. Background Art
Situations frequently occur where it is necessary to start a nut or other threaded item onto a bolt, stud, or other threaded fastener for subsequent tightening with a wrench or other tightening device, but where the fastener is located such that it is difficult or impossible to place and turn the nut by hand onto the threads of the fastener.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,853,025, to Komhyr, issued Dec. 10, 1974, titled "Nut Starter", addresses the problem by providing a generally cylindrical, elongate body having at one end an axial extension of reduced diameter which frictionally engages one internally threaded end of a nut so that the nut is held by the extension and can be picked up by the extension without the nut having been touched by hand. A shoulder portion between the axial extension and the end of the body engages the outer face of the nut and the nut can be started on the fastener by the unitary rotational movement of the body, the axial extension, and the shoulder. This arrangement has two substantial limitations. First, the configuration of the axial extension greatly limits the size range of nuts that can be accommodated with a given nut starter. Second, the starter can be used only when the fastener is accessible along its axis.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an axial nut starter that can be used with a wide range of nut sizes.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an offset nut starter that can be used when the fastener is inaccessible along its axis.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a nut starter that is simple and economical to manufacture and convenient to use.
Other objects of the present invention will, in part, be obvious, and will, in part, be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.